The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Knee surgery to sideline Neal
First-round safety may miss month after injury in sloppy dress rehearsal for Falcons.
The Falcons flopped against the Dolphins in Orlando, Fla., on Thursday night. They were bad in every area coach Dan Quinn had identified as a point of emphasis and, worse for the Falcons, they were many of the same issues that hurt them during their fade from 5-0 to 8-8 in 2015.
But Quinn said circumstances lead him to believe the exhibition game was an anomaly, not a trend.
The more pressing concern for the Falcons is the absence of top rookie Keanu Neal for the beginning of the regular season.
The Falcons said Neal, their starting strong safety and firstround draft pick, will have arthroscopic surgery Monday to repair unspecified damage to his right knee. Neal suffered the injury during the first quarter of the exhibition game against the Dolphins on Thursday.
The Falcons said Neal will be out three to four weeks. The Falcons open the season Sept. 11 against the Buccaneers at the Georgia Dome.
“Hopefully it’s a shorter-term injury where we’re looking at two (or) hopefully, at the worst, three games,” Quinn said Friday. “From all of us who know Keanu he’s going to put 1,000 percent into the rehab to get ready. We know what he stands for and his
toughness.”
With Neal out, Kemal Ishamel projects to be the starting strong safety, with either Sharrod Neasman or Damian Parms in reserve.
Quinn said the Falcons will look at free-agent safeties but don’t feel a pressing need to add one as long as Ishmael makes a successful return to practice Sunday after a shoulder injury kept him out of the Dolphins game.
Ishmael, a seventh-round draft pick by the Falcons in 2013, started 10 games in 2014 and five in 2015. He’s a capable backup, but Neal’s injury is a blow to Quinn’s plan of fielding a faster and more physical defense this season.
The Falcons selected Neal with the No. 17 overall pick, much higher than pre-draft projections.
The Falcons envision Neal in a hybrid role similar to how Quinn used Kam Chancellor when Quinn was the Seahawks’ defensive coordinator.
Quinn said Neal has done well learning the defense and was a sure tackler in Thursday’s game. Now Neal’s injury will rob him of valuable practice repetitions and playing time in the final exhibition game after he also missed the exhibition opener with an abdominal injury.
But Quinn said he’s looking on the bright side.
“I’m so thrilled it’s not a long-term (injury),” Quinn said. “That would have been a real blow for his development and our team.”
Neal’s injury was the worst part of a bad night for the Falcons. Quinn had a list of improvements he wanted to see from his regulars, who received their most extensive playing time of the exhibition season, and they didn’t check off any of the boxes.
Also, five other Falcons players suffered injuries during the game: wide receiver Julio Jones (ankle), defensive end Adrian Clayborn (shoulder), wide receiver Justin Hardy (ankle), running back Brandon Wilds (knee) and wide receiver Devin Fuller (shoulder).
Quinn said he didn’t have an update on Fuller, but that he expects the rest of those players to practice on a limited basis next week and be ready for the opener.
Quinn said his team’s bad outing was mitigated somewhat by the fact they mixed and matched personnel groups.
He said his main focus was evaluating players as the Falcons shape the final roster, not scheming for the exhibition game.
“I can’t wait to see our unit just kind of let it rip as a whole group,” Quinn said.
Coach Dan Quinn said his team’s bad outing was mitigated somewhat by the fact they mixed and matched personnel groups.